Euonymus plant named ‘Mickaela’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euonymus  plant named ‘Mickaela’, characterized by its uniform, compact, mounded and procumbent plant habit; freely branching growth habit; and distinct yellow and green variegated leaves.

Botanical designation: Euonymus fortunei.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Mickaela’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euonymus plant, botanically known as Euonymus fortunei, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Mickaela’.

The new Euonymus is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Euonymus fortunei cultivar Sunspot, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,340. The new Euonymus was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Rathmooney, Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland in 1993. The new Euonymus was selected on the basis of its unique leaf coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings since 1995 in Rathmooney, Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland, has shown that the unique features of this new Euonymus are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Mickaela have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Mickaela’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Mickaela’ as a new and distinct Euonymus cultivar:

-   -   1. Uniform, compact, mounded and procumbent plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Distinct yellow and green variegated leaves.

Plants of the new Euonymus are most similar to plants of the parent, the cultivar Sunspot. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands, plants of the new Euonymus differed from plants of the cultivar Sunspot in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euonymus were more uniform than plants of         the cultivar Sunspot.     -   2. Plants of the new Euonymus had shorter internodes and are         more compact than plants of the cultivar Sunspot.     -   3. Plants of the new Euonymus had larger leaves than plants of         the cultivar Sunspot.     -   4. Plants of the new Euonymus had more distinct and contrasting         leaf variegation and brighter leaf coloration than plants of the         cultivar Sunspot.

Plants of the new Euonymus can be compared to plants of other cultivars of Euonymus known to the Inventor. Plants of the new Euonymus differ from plants of other cultivars known to the Inventor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euonymus are more uniform than plants of         other cultivars of Euonymus known to the Inventor.     -   2. Plants of the new Euonymus have more distinct and contrasting         leaf variegation and brighter leaf coloration than plants of         other cultivars of Euonymus known to the Inventor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Euonymus.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Mickaela’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the middle of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical stem and leaves of ‘Mickaela’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘Mickaela’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants shown in the aforementioned photographs and used in the following description were grown in containers under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the early spring in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands. Plants in the photographs and those used for the description were about four years old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 3 to 15° C. and night temperatures ranged from −2 to 9° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euonymus fortunei cultivar Mickaela. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Euonymus     fortunei cultivar Sunspot, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate rooting, summer.—About four weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             months at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Moderately thick; creamy white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial. Uniform, compact, mounded             and procumbent plant habit. Freely branching habit; about 17             lateral branches per plant; with short internodes; dense and             bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate growth rate; about one year is             required to produce fully-grown plants.         -   Plant height.—About 19 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 67 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Young stems, smooth and glabrous; older             stems, woody, rough. Color: Young stems, 8A, with             development, 144B; older stems, N200A to N200B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:             About 4 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Ovate to elliptic.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Crenate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation             pattern: Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: Central area,             N144B; towards the margin, darker than 143A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: Central area, N144B; towards the             margin, darker than 143B to 143C. Fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: Central area, 10A to 10B occasionally 9A to             9B; towards the margin, slightly darker and duller than             139A; venation, 10A to 10B or similar to lamina. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Central area, 10C; towards             the margin, 143B to 143C; venation, 9A or similar to lamina.         -   Petiole length.—About 5 mm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—10C. -   Flower description: Flower development on plants of the new Euonymus     has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Euonymus have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euonymus. -   High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euonymus have been     observed to tolerate temperatures of 35° C. -   Hardiness: Plants of the new Euonymus are hardy to USDA Zone 6. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Euonymus plant named ‘Mickaela’, as illustrated and described. 